Audit/Tax Assistant Review

The role is highly varied as part of a rotational programme. You are heavily involved with all grades of team members assisting with audit clients if this involves engaging with the client or working with excel. In tax this can look different as it is very project heavy which is fantastic to get involved with a lot of different team members across the business

I have learnt an extreme amount of skills of the 2 years currently spent with the firm. The exposure to individuals with high experience in their field is very valuable as you can learn from the best. In audit I learnt a lot of interpersonal skills, engaging with different people from all backgrounds whilst developing my Excel skills. In tax my project management and work priority was tested and developed to be much better than before.

I enjoy the programme to the extent that I am able to try and test a lot of different areas of the business, really finding what suits me and what does not. On the other hand as a rotational programme there is no confirmation that you will be in a part of the business you enjoy. Mostly the people I work with is great and people are very nice and the work is hard but very much worth it for career development.

The programme is extremely organised, from the induction till now the way it has been set up is the best I have seen. The support given is good but I find that the support is from someone not local to me which has its drawbacks as it does not always feel authentic. It does not always feel like there is a team hierarchy which is great as I am able to talk to all people.

There is a lot of support across the board but sometimes it is down to how you connect with the individual. For example my Mentor/ Performance leader is not local to me and so we virtually never speak which is a shame. But on the other hand you can speak to anyone and they will all try and help if they can.

The training provider is very good but it sometimes does not feel authentic as there is a lot of pre generated emails that suggest I need to catch up on some studying (When I am perfectly on track) which is not ideal. Some of the exams we do I do not feel we are given enough time to cover the content. For example my most recent exam we had 4 days but we didn't cover all the chapters which is very much not ideal.

I think overall the qualifications we take are very good and there is a lot of specific and general topics that can help with the job but depending on what area of the business you work in, it may also not be relevant either. For example Tax exam whilst in audit.

kpmg perform really well with their CSR and company events etc. Due to covid this has some what been stripped back and now it is done in a more virtual way which to some will be great and other events it might not be ideal or as engaging but overall KPMG do very well in providing lots.

Yes

Because the opportunity offered to work in such a high performing company with exposure to all these different people in different business areas you can't get this at any usual place. They have a lot of opportunities for an individual and so many areas to try that if you find your area it feels fantastic.

The tips I would provide is to ask lots of questions. You are not expected to know anything and sometimes days or tasks will seem extremely hard but just ask for help. No one wants to see you struggle, it is not worth it. Also making connections with people that are in your office but a different part of the business is vital and may even play to your advantage in the future.